A broad range of applications require modulators and variable-voltage sources with high peak-power capabilities. Such applications include radar transmitters, X-ray machines, microwave-tube test sets, and semiconductor wafer manufacturing equipment. These machines and equipment employ such high-power amplifiers as cross-field amplifiers, traveling-wave tubes, magnetrons, klystron amplifiers (collectively referred to as “vacuum-electron devices”), and ion implanters. A number of high-voltage modulators are adapted to deliver pulsed power to these types of high-power amplifiers.
Conventional high-voltage modulators can be implemented using vacuum tubes, but the technology increasingly employs solid-state switches, which have higher peak-power capabilities and are more readily available. High-voltage modulators that employ solid-state switches provide excellent high-power, high-speed switching performance. There is always room for improvement, however, as competitive technology markets are ever watchful for cost-competitive systems that offer improved efficiency, reliability, speed performance, or a combination of these. For a detailed discussion of a conventional high-power modulator that employs solid-state switches, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,598, which is incorporated herein by reference.